Imputation: Adding People to the Census
When census-takers can’t reach anyone at a particular address or obtain information about occupants in other ways, they sometimes use a last-resort statistical technique called “imputation” to fill in missing data. One marker of the quality of a census is how much it relies on imputation to add people to the count.
Tornadoes Lead News in Days Before Bin Laden Death
In the week before the killing of Osama Bin Laden, the deadly tornadoes that ripped through the Southeast captured more media attention than the economy, Obama’s birth certificate and even the British royal wedding.
Public “Relieved” By bin Laden’s Death, Obama’s Job Approval Rises
Relief and pride are the prevailing emotional responses to Sunday’s dramatic events. Obama’s approval rating has jumped, and he gets far more credit from the public than does George W. Bush for bin Laden’s killing. Still, the military and CIA receive most of the credit.
More Optimism about Afghanistan, But No Boost in Support for Troop Presence
The killing of Osama bin Laden has bolstered confidence that the government can prevent a possible terrorist attack, and that the U.S. will achieve its goals in Afghanistan. But an overnight Pew Research/Washington Post poll finds the public remains divided about keeping U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Too Much Coverage: Birth Certificate, Royal Wedding
Majorities of Americans say news organizations focused too much last week on both the royal wedding in England and the release of the long-form version of Barack Obama’s birth certificate.
Osama bin Laden Largely Discredited Among Muslim Publics in Recent Years
In the months leading up to Osama bin Laden’s death, a survey of Muslim publics around the world found little support for the al Qaeda leader.
Bloggers Discuss Pulitzer Prize
Many bloggers saw the award as a sign that quality newspaper journalism is not dead. Rumors that Twitter was in the process of acquiring TweetDeck was the top story on Twitter.
Deficit: More Concern, Less Optimism
The public increasingly views the federal budget deficit as a major problem the country must address now, but is becoming less optimistic progress will be made on the issue.
Modest American Interest in Royal Wedding
The economy and deadly storms far outpaced U.S. interest in the coming nuptials in Great Britain and nearly two-thirds call wedding coverage excessive.
Trump Pushes the 2012 Race into the News
For the first time this year, the 2012 presidential race emerged as a big story, driven in large part by the week’s second leading newsmaker: Donald Trump.
